Introduction

Abstract

This introduction explains why a particular need exists to discuss standard-setting in education with respect to the Nordic countries. The objectives of the book are described, and short summaries of all 17 chapters are provided. The book consists of three major parts: The international evidence on methodological issues in standard-setting is summarized and fresh lenses are given to the state of research. After that, the standard setting practices in the Nordic countries are documented and critically discussed. Finally, new methodological approaches to standard setting are presented. In many standards-based testing systems the question of how to reconcile the two logics of accreditation (grading) and diagnostics (testing) is still an unresolved one so that countries can benefit from the approaches presented.